‘In-depth’ understanding of Congress, Capitol Hill outreach to be part of MacNaughton’s D.C. legacy, say experts
When David MacNaughton departs his post as Canada’s ambassador to the United States at the end of the month, he will be remembered for the important links he made with Congress, say trade experts and politicos. In the midst of the precarious renegotiation of NAFTA with the volatile Trump administration, Canada shifted its eyes towards […]
Five ways NDP seeks to differentiate itself from Trudeau government
An NDP government under Jagmeet Singh may be a long shot, given the party’s performance in the polls, which have had the Conservatives and the Liberals running neck and neck for months at a time. Still, the party is hoping to pry some progressive votes away from the Liberals in part by calling for a universal […]
Inexperience of British trade team created ‘frustration’ during early talks for a potential Canada-U.K. pact, experts say
Before Canada-U.K. preliminary trade talks cooled, the inexperience of the British negotiation team complicated the discussions, observers say. “They have never done this before,” said Eric Miller, a former senior policy adviser to the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C., and current head of the Rideau Potomac Strategy Group. The United Kingdom has not negotiated a […]
Parties competing over values, not substance, in foreign policy platforms
In the 2015 federal election, Justin Trudeau campaigned on a foreign policy vision that differed radically from that of Stephen Harper, arguing that a decade of Conservative rule meant that Canada had drifted away from upholding the values that underpinned its actions as a global actor. However, in power, the differences between the two are […]
Feds ‘carefully reviewing’ court decision to order removal of ‘product of Israel’ labels on West Bank wines
Canadian Jewish groups and Liberal MP Anthony Housefather are encouraging the government to appeal a recent court decision regarding the labelling of Israeli wines produced by Israeli citizens in the West Bank. “I have read the judgment and believe there are substantive errors in the judgment and as such, I have encouraged the Government to […]
Taiwan’s participation in the CPTPP would build upon its role as a pillar of economic stability, says Winston Wen-Yi Chen
Trade exist at the centre of international cooperation and diplomacy; it underpins the all major economies and is responsible for creating a more integrated global community. One such trade deal that promotes these ends is the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). This critically important deal could be improved upon. Canada could help […]
Canada Infrastructure Bank becomes a political issue in upcoming federal election
TORONTO—It has become another political issue in the upcoming federal election. This is the Canada Infrastructure Bank, a federal Crown corporation established in 2017 to expand the pace of investment in new infrastructure by making it more attractive for the private sector to help finance major new projects such as public transit, highways, ports, water […]
Waiting until a hard Brexit comes with risk for Canadian trade, say observers
As exploratory trade talks between Canada and Britain have hit a pause, there is some concern that a lack of preparation for a new trade pact could lead to trade instability as Britain heads for a hard Brexit, say a trade expert and an opposition critic. Canada entered into exploratory discussions with the United Kingdom […]
‘We didn’t get the job done’: Liberals poised to break promise on corporate ombudsperson, say observers
After four years of repeating its promise to create a corporate ombudsperson with teeth, the federal Liberal government appears ready to reverse itself and drop the matter as it prepares for the fall election, say observers close to the issue in Ottawa. “It’s very disappointing that the government backed away at the last minute. And […]
Canada should seek exemption from ‘Buy American’ provisions instead of fighting U.S. protectionist policy, trade observers say
Getting Canadian exporters access to U.S. federal government procurement projects will become more difficult thanks to a new executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump, and getting around it may not be possible, say trade observers, who want Canada’s government to seek an exemption to the protection order. Although retaliatory trade action may have played […]
